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THIS PICTURE The elegant Gilded Lounge suite in signature white. BELOW Alfresco dining at The Patio restaurant.

The lowdown Cool Belgian fashion designer’s take on Parisian chicBest for Hipsters in the mood for love The historic spaces of a imposing town house hotel on a need-to-know street, just off the world’s greatest avenue, have been transformed by one of Belgium’s greatest fashion exports (let’s call him the Antwerp Seventh) – Martin Margiela. And his design house’s off-beat, poetic style is all over La Maison. In both the public spaces and the 17 Couture guest rooms, period details have been fully restored and mixed with dramatic trompe l’oeil panels, ghostly draped furniture and witty twists, such as the taxidermy birds whose feathers provide the only shot of colour in the glamorous ground floor White Lounge. White is Margiela’s signature colour, but he does dip into the dark arts in the black Cigar Bar across the hall – moody and très sexy. Book it Couture suites from £1,000 (lamaisonchampselysees.com)

R omance doesn’t have to be old-fashioned – it can be cool and contemporary. Stay with us, cynics. With chocolates on pillows and single red roses banned, Livingetc has chosen three hotels that offer

very different takes on the idea of ‘romance’, yet each is relaxed and modern, and perfect for any interiors lover’s lover. Avant-garde fashion designer Martin Margiela’s creative vision for the suites in La Maison, in the capital of romance, Paris, was never going to be twee, for example – it’s both lavish and poetic. If happiness means escaping the crowds, sweep your other half off to Areias do Seixo, a stylish retreat among the dunes on Portugal’s wild Atlantic coast. For the glamour factor, though, it’s tough to top the Hotel Bel-Air in Los Angeles. Once a magnet for privacy-seeking stars such as Marilyn Monroe, the hotel has recently had a complete refurbishment that is a modern take on the golden age of Hollywood.

WORDS • MORAG BRUCE AND MATTHEW WILLIAMS

MODERN LOVES

Celebrate romance in 21st century style at hotels that combine grand glamour with contemporary cool

LA MAISON CHAMPS ELYSEES Paris

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The lowdown A hotel icon is reborn after a complete refit Best for Feeling like a film star from a bygone ageNo icon wants to feel as if she’s past her prime, so after a two-year renovation, the Hotel Bel-Air is back to claim its title as the go-to glamorous hideaway. This was a gentle refit, though, and sensitive to the hotel’s bones and place in Tinsel Town’s history. So the familiar Spanish colonial architecture splashed in Bel-Air Pink remains, as does the famous oval pool, the 12 acres of lush planting and the swans on the lake. The new interiors draw inspiration from Hollywood’s golden decades from the Thirties to the Fifties. As well as the existing luxurious guest rooms, three new Loft guest rooms have been added – Livingetc loved the double-sided fireplace (above). There are also Canyon View suites and speciality suites for the grandest romantic gestures – our favourites are the Grace Kelly and the Swan Lake. Beautify and relax in the La Prairie Spa before tucking into dinner in celebrated chef Wolfgang Puck’s eponymous restaurant. Book it Double rooms from £339 (tablethotels.co.uk)

The lowdown Dramatic design on the Atlantic seaboardBest for Retreating from the world in style With rugged scenery and wild surf rolling onto empty beaches, the coast north of Lisbon is perfect for retreating from hectic lives. And this part of the world has something else going for it in Areias do Seixo, a collection of 10 unique rooms, one penthouse and four villas tucked away among the sand dunes of Costa de Prata, a 35-minute drive from the capital. The architecture may be modern, but the interiors take their inspiration from India and Morocco, blending natural textures with glamorous touches, such as a huge driftwood bed next to sparkling chandeliers. Giant drench showers, private hot tubs – so far, so romantic, but if you do leave your room, the hotel also has a luxurious spa, an outdoor pool and an organic restaurant serving local specialities from the wood-fired oven (plus, unusually, a vegetarian menu). Book it Weekend rooms from £250 (i-escape.com)

ABOVE The hotel’s famous oval pool. RIGHT A fire in a Loft guest room makes a dramatic focal point. BELOW The Spanish colonial-style lobby.

TOP A stylish mix of natural textures in the Nha Cretcheu room. ABOVE The hotel’s sleekly modern exterior. RIGHT Earthy elements in the Terra room.

AREIAS DO SEIXO Portugal

HOTEL BEL-AIR Los Angeles

In Portugal, Valentine’s Day is called Dia dos Namorados, or

Lovers’ Day. A local tradition is to give gift baskets,

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W hether you’re happiest in it, on it, or next to it (with a mojito), the sea has the power to lift spirits. But just because we have sandy hair and

flip-flops on it doesn’t mean we don’t want our beach-side hotel to have great interiors with unexpected twists. And we’ve found three short-haul hotels with both. Lone is a spaceship/luxury hotel on the coast of Istria, Croatia’s lush northern Adriatic region. It’s the perfect foil for the historic splendour of nearby Rovinj. Talking of history, there is at least 5,000 years of it on show near the chic Amanruya in Turkey. The wild, western Algarve, meanwhile, is an in-the-know favourite thanks to hotels such as Martinhal. All secluded coves and rare flora and fauna, the region has a wonderful, head- clearing breeze courtesy of the Atlantic.

The lowdown Modern, nature-inspired hotel in the unspoilt Algarve Best for Hip families looking to run wild on the beachMartinhal’s neighbour is a nature reserve, and the hotel blends in perfectly. Wrapped in timber, its buildings are quietly contemporary, with interiors by Michael Sodeau that use wood, stone, cork and other locally sourced materials. Stay in the main building, in a standalone beach room, or in a beach suite with connecting room. If that sounds ideal for families, it’s because the hotel is part of a modern, family-friendly resort. So there are good restaurants, a spa, tennis courts and swimming pools on your doorstep. In front of the hotel is Martinhal beach, which is perfect for a calm paddle, while budding surfers should head to Zavial or Ingrina for rolling waves. But this is not an ‘enforced fun’ kind of resort; you can easily tuck yourself away and do nothing. Each room has an ocean-view deck and is surrounded by wild flowers for a blissful sundowner experience. Book it Rooms from £227 (martinhal.com)

MARTINHAL Sagres, PortugalWORDS • MORAG BRUCE

COASTAL COOLSand between your toes and sea breeze through your hair – the beach is for kicking back. And with these short-haul seaside hotels, you can do it in style

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The lowdown Chic Ottoman-esque hideaway with knockout viewsBest for Luxe downtime, with bouts of activity and trips in antiquity As the access road weaves its way through pine forest and thousand-year-old olive trees, and the traditional, local stone-built Amanruya appears, you think, ‘Yes, I’m definitely in the Mediterranean.’ More than just ‘rooms’, accommodation is in individual cottages, and their style is elegant Ottoman – all mirror-shine Turkish marble, sheer fabrics, subtle arches and furniture made in sultry acajou timber. Cottages have enormous four-poster beds, huge bath tubs and private pools. There are two spa suites, a 50m swimming pool, private beach club, tennis court and three-storey library. When all this relaxing in luxury becomes too much, take a day trip. Many of the ancient world’s greatest hits, including the vast ruins of Ephesus, the Baths of Faustina (the inspiration for the modern hammam) and the Temples of Apollo and Athena are within a couple of hours of Amanruya. Book it Cottages from £600 (amanresorts.com/amanruya)

The lowdown Striking, exciting and ready for take off Best for Historyphiles who love 21st century architectureRovinj is only 100km from Italy by way of Slovenia and, like many towns on the Croatian coast, has beautiful Venetian and Roman architecture. Which makes the arrival of this six-storey giant of modern design in a protected forest all the more exciting. Hotel Lone has the sort of gleaming-white curves that get people excited about New York’s Guggenheim, but here they create terraces and private plunge pools. The interior is futuristic and sexy, with the building wrapped around vast, light-filled atriums, one with a dramatic, atomic-structure mobile. Rooms work the same mood, with natural materials and playful mirror murals. The hotel is 150m from a pretty but rocky beach (sand is rare here), or there’s a huge outdoor seawater pool in the grounds surrounded by pine trees. Fly to Pula airport, which is only 40 minutes’ drive from the hotel. Book it Rooms from £123 (lonehotel.com)

ABOVE Cottages have a private pool and garden. LEFT Sumptuous beds and crisp linen make bedtime a dream. BELOW Mediterranean chic in the bathroom.

TOP The vast windows of the hotel’s Restaurant On offer superb views. ABOVE Rooms are equipped with stylish furnishings. LEFT The sleek exterior contrasts strikingly with the surrounding forest.

HOTEL LONE Rovinj, Croatia

AMANRUYA Bodrum Peninsula, Turkey

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THIS PICTURE Tip top views from the Eco Loft. BELOW Pared back industrial luxury.

The lowdown Eco-chic luxury cabins from Mexico’s coolest hotelierBest for A wine buff and nature lover’s meeting of minds If the 20 luxury cabins that make up Endémico Resguardo Silvestre look as though they are standing on their tippy toes, that’s deliberate. The architects were so intent on minimising environmental impact they designed the rooms to sit above ground on stilts. This is a Grupo Habita hotel, though, so eco credentials come with interiors that are cool, sleek and industrial in mood. You have your own terrace, which is perfect for sampling the wares of the Encuentro winery, with just a clay stove and two million stars for company. Alternatively, there’s an incredible infinity pool worked into the hillside. Endémico’s restaurant is managed by the Culinary Art School of Tijuana, adhering to slow-food principles – nothing moves fast here, thankfully. Book it Cabins from £120 (grupohabita.mx)

T he United Kingdom is going to be a hectic old place in 2012, so if you’re looking for an antidote, go wild and remote. Fear not, though, this is Livingetc, and getting away from it all doesn’t mean nights under canvas. Our

wine country, tropical island and bamboo-clad mountain hideaways are all luxurious. As the latest opening from Grupo Habita (see New York’s Americano and Boca Chica in Acapulco), Endémico in Mexico was always going to be fabulous, but the views over the vineyards of the Valle de Guadaloupe make it extra special. The Cape Verde archipelago off the west coast of Africa has the look and climate of a long-haul hot spot, but is only six hours from Britain. Hike the volcanic plains and windswept, deserted beaches, or just kick back at the Hotel Spinguera. At Naked Stables Reserve, two-and-a-half hours from Shanghai, while away the hours in your tree-top villa, explore the hills on horseback or take a calligraphy lesson. It’s oh so quiet, shhhh.

WORDS • MORAG BRUCE

SPLENDIDISOLATION

Dreaming of a great escape? We’ve found stylish hotels in jaw-dropping locations – and no crowds, guaranteed

ENDÉMICO RESGUARDO SILVESTRE Baja California, Mexico

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The lowdown Traditional stone-built hotel in a truly wild landscapeBest for Climbing into a hammock, snoozing in a hammockThe Cape Verde chain of islands isn’t particularly developed in terms of tourism, and Spinguera is definitely the wildest, most remote of our great getaway options. This is the hotel to head to when the bleeping and pinging of 21st-century life gets too much (don’t expect mobile coverage here). The rooms are pared back and romantic, all pale plaster and rustic accessories, and housed in traditional stone-built fishermen’s cottages with pretty painted shutters. There’s a restaurant serving local seafood and produce, plenty of spots to soak up the sun, opportunities to explore the island, and very little else. If you do have itchy feet, take a walk along the beach to the huge shipwreck lodged in the shallows or, as Boa Vista is the archipelago’s ‘island of dunes’, a trip into the desert on a full moon is a must – a life-enhancing experience for city folks used to light pollution. Book it Double rooms from £65 (spinguera.com)

The lowdown Stylish retreat in a secluded bamboo valley Best for Luxe lovers looking to get back to natureBack in the Twenties, the bamboo-clad hills of Moganshan were the playground of opium gangsters, and you can see why they’d choose these beautiful, mysterious forests as their retreat from Shanghai, less than three hours away. Bad boys long gone, the valley is serene, and the perfect place for a modern hideaway. Hence the Naked Stables Reserve, a very eco-friendly, very luxurious hotel. There are no motorised vehicles allowed, access is by foot or golf buggy, so expect pin-drop peace. There is a variety of accommodation, from poolside to forest, but we’d recommend one of the hillside Earth Huts – nothing beats taking an outdoor shower on your terrace with the mist rolling in below. There’s an extensive programme of activities to de-fuzz your mind – we loved the wild swimming and relaxing calligraphy lesson. Book it Double rooms from £260 (nakedretreats.cn)

ABOVE Lose yourself in the sound of the sea. LEFT Simply furnished rooms complete the romantic getaway feel. BELOW Dining out, Cape Verde style.

TOP Breathtaking vistas from a Tree Top villa. ABOVE Grounded luxury in an Earth Hut. LEFT Find perfect peace at the poolside.

NAKED STABLES RESERVE China

SPINGUERA Boa Vista, Cape Verde islands

Solitude on a grand scale is nothing new in China. Traditionally, the

emperors lived in total isolation from their subjects, and on the

rare occasions they left their palaces, roads were cleared so no one could

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1 Villesavin tie-back in Peony, £105, Designers Guild. 2 Daho platforms, £440, Jerome C Rousseau at Oxygen Boutique. 3 Beachborough mirror, £125, The Chandelier & Mirror Company. 4 One of Janie’s designs for Mad Men (guess who?). 5 Janie’s inspiration for Don and Betty Draper: Life magazine poster, £57.99, allposters.co.uk. North By Northwest DVD, £8, HMV.

6 Atollo 233 table lamp, £1,636, Oluce at Nest. 7 Luxury Pele cowhide (200 x 200cm), £330, WovenGround. 8 Butterfly wedding cabinet, £1,990, Orchid. 9 Tigrette suede shoulder bag, £895, Gucci at Net-A-Porter.

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Occupation Award-winning costume designer and the creator of Mad Men’s lusted-after wardrobe. Working life Tennessee-born Janie studied art history at Georgia State University before swapping to a fashion course at the American College For The Applied Arts. After graduating, she lived in Paris and New York, where she found her true calling working on film costumes, before moving to Los Angeles in 1999. She won critical acclaim for her work on western TV series Deadwood and again for Mad Men. She also collaborated with Banana Republic on a Mad Men-inspired collection. Home life She lives in Silver Lake, Los Angeles, with her husband, Peter, and French poodle, Lucie.

Janie Bryant

MY LIFEI had my first fashion moment aged eight. It was a blue-and-white striped dress with anchor buttons. I made it myself and still love bold stripes to this day.My mother was a great creative influence on me when I was a child. She was obsessed with interior design (I used to cut up her sample books to make Barbie clothes) and collected hand-painted Asian furniture. I found it so exotic and inspiring. Growing up, I wore vintage clothes. Everyone at school was preppy and I’d be in my grandmother’s green satin heels. It was my way of being rebellious in a small town. I used to change five times a day. I’ve always been drawn to the flamboyance of musicals. As a child, I was captivated by a scene in Guys And Dolls where the male characters are wearing bright socks and matching braces. My all-time favourite designer is Christian Lacroix. His creations are so theatrical. My must-have heels are by Jerome C Rousseau and I love the Tigrette bag by Gucci.

MY INSPIRATIONCostume design tells the story of the character visually. It’s often about the fantasy of being in a different time. I was always really attracted to that. I work closely with [Mad Men creator] Matthew Weiner. He has a strong point of view – he’s definitely our leader – but his focus on the fine detail is what makes the show so successful. I find ideas in issues of Time, Life, Ladies’ Home Journal, and Sears and JC Penney catalogues. I do look at high-end fashion magazines of the time, but

Mad Men is about reality, so it can’t be all couture.My starting point for Don Draper was Cary Grant in North By Northwest, for his elegance and refinement, but also an air of mystery. Betty was a mix of Grace Kelly and my grandmother – an elegant woman who made an apron to match every one of her outfits. For mood, I keep The Apartment and Les Bonnes Femmes in mind. The perfect wedding dress for Roger Sterling’s daughter was close to home – it was my mother’s.

MY HOMERumour has it that my house was [legendary silent film director] DW Griffith’s holiday hideaway. My decor style is high contrast – Sixties Palm Springs meets Renaissance. I mix white, black and gold, patterns and neutrals – cowhide rugs and Seventies brass lamps, French Baroque, foo lamps and gilt mirrors. It’s like my wardrobe – an ever-expanding blend of vintage and modern. To make it perfect, I designed my own sofa. It’s mid-century style, in pale-pink velvet. I’d love to create my own furniture collection and it’s safe to say it would be pretty opulent. I’d get lost in upholstery fabrics. And I can’t get enough of tassels. My wardrobe is our former galley kitchen. It’s so full and I can’t edit. I like to go in and look at my clothes and be able to feel them – it’s my archive. I just got back from Moscow and St Basil’s Cathedral is the most incredible thing I have ever seen. That’s what I want my house to look like. Find out more about Janie at janiebryant.com.

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Occupation In-demand stylist. Among other glamorous names, Aldene has styled Florence Welch of Machine fame since her first album, and collected an MTV Music Video Award for her work. Working life Zimbabwe-born Aldene moved to London in her early twenties. While working in advertising, an art director’s comment that she had a really good eye spurred her into styling. She was Vice magazine’s first fashion editor. And now, as well as working with Florence on everything from videos to BRIT Awards appearances, she has been styling new artist Jess Mills, working on fashion films for clients such as Markus Lupfer and Tory Burch, and adverts including Lexus with Kylie Minogue.Home life Lives in East London with her fiancé, Kevin, labrador Bix and Lola the cat.

Aldene Johnson

1 Holiday Small Bayswater satchel in Lemon Sherbet, £795, Mulberry. 2 Floradora swivel chair, £2,436, Somerville Scott & Company. 3 Florence & The Machine Ceremonials CD, Amazon. 4 Leaf-print Greta heels, £595, Charlotte Olympia.

5 Udaipur Yellow hand-woven durrie, £425, The Rug Company. 6 Kaiser Idell Luxus table lamp, £655, Fritz Hansen at Aram Store. 7 Tsi-La Organics Fiori D’Arancio eau de parfum, £75, Naturisimo. 8 Vintage kimono, £145, Rellik.

MY LIFEApparently, by the age of three I was putting my own outfits together. I’ve always had a strong sense of what I like. I never knew that ‘creating a look’ could be my career, though. As a child, I wanted to be a ballet dancer or a marine biologist. My own style is a tale of contrasts – vintage with contemporary; classically feminine with a bit of androgyny. I like the unexpected. My favourite shop is Liberty. Everything about it, from the building itself to the way products are presented, is special and unique. I can’t possibly choose just one shoe as my favourite. That’s a very tricky task. I love them. Can I say ‘everything by Charlotte Olympia’? Every season, I want at least three bags by Mulberry in my life. I think they’re a clever mix of classic English style updated for modern women. A film that moves me is The Straight Story by David Lynch. It’s a really unexpected film for him. It’s a documentary about a man driving a sit-on lawn mower 300 miles across America. I love how beautifully simple and compassionate it is. My nature is to be a collector. I’m like a moth to a flame when it comes to pendants. Then there’s the kimonos, hats, and the silly scarf collection. I love fragrances by the natural organic perfumer Tsi-La. They really lift my spirits. My everyday essential has to be Eve Lom Cleanser.

MY INSPIRATIONShooting with Karl Lagerfeld is definitely one of my career highlights. We worked together when he

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shot Florence for German Vogue. I love how prolific he is in so many creative areas – he’s a genius. Creating a look for someone is about working with what I love about their personal style and evolving that by pushing it as far as it works for them. Working with Florence has been a dream – she’s so open and adventurous.I begin by compiling a mood board of images and reference points I associate with the person. Then we get together and talk everything through. My mind is constantly working, making mental notes. I look to films, books and especially music for inspiration. Annie Hall is iconic to me, as is The Velvet Underground & Nico album.The best piece of professional advice I’ve ever had is ‘It’s all going to be fine.’ And it was.

MY HOMEI find it easier to work if I’m surrounded by things I love. There’s a definite connection between how you decorate and your ability to be creative in it. I love the aesthetic of the Thirties. The design is glamorous, ground-breaking and a little exotic, too. I have furniture and lighting from that period, which I mix with bright kilims and framed prints. My fiancé and I have a very similar eye when it comes to our home. We’ve lived together for 10 years and have picked up a lot of treasures along the way from markets and antiques shops. You might have guessed already, but my dream home isn’t a modern building. It’s a Victorian house, which I’m lucky enough to live in right now.

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The latest pieces from Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland reveal the Nordic design DNA is as strong as ever

NorthernLIGHTS

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT James lamp/coat stand, £998, Ruben Lighting at Chaplins. CH33 chair in Black, £495, Hans J Wegner for Carl Hansen at Aram Store. Allas candelabra, £58.95, Iittala at Hus & Hem. Barboy trolley, £995, Verpan at Ivor Innes. Häggå 988 rug, from £328.80 per sq m, Kasthall at Sinclair Till. On The Move side table, £284, Cane-line.

Douglas fir floorboards, from £103.20 per sq m, Dinesen.

!T he brilliant thing about Nordic design is that it all works – beautifully. Products just quietly get on with doing what they should do in your home. As Christian Rasmussen, head of design at Fritz Hansen, explains, ‘Our whole approach

is about well-argued design solutions and a respect for the user and the materials.’ But this dedication to the cause of functionality doesn’t mean the mood is austere. Piece are created with everyday homes and regular people in mind, so they tend to have warmth, personality and adaptability. Take Swedish company Ruben Lighting’s James lamp (above right). With its slim profile, and somewhere to hang your coat and throw your keys, it’s an ideal hallway companion. Danish brand Cane-line’s indoor/outdoor On The Move table (right), meanwhile, can be picked up and carried where needed by its handle; the top then lifts off to become a tray. Fellow Dane Verpan’s Barboy (far right) – a 1963 classic by Verner Panton recently released from the archives – is like a mini butler for your living room. Its neat, moulded wood structure swings open to reveal two tables and two storage spaces.

It’s functional

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CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE Series 7 chair, £310, Arne Jacobsen at Republic Of Fritz Hansen. Omaggio bowl, £33.74, Kähler. Colour rug, £756, Scholten & Baijings for Hay; Spin stools, £243 each, Swedese; both at The Lollipop Shoppe. Vacuum jug in Aqua, £54.95, Erik Magnussen for Stelton at Ivor Innes.Gram LED desk lamp, £545, Jonas Forsman for Zero Interiors at Heal’s. Ottawa room divider/cabinet, £1,695, Karim Rashid for BoConcept at Harrods.

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As well as cheery, playful brights, there’s a darker trend in Nordic design creeping in. Putte The Cat candle holder, £1,200, Klaus Haapaniemi for Monna Glass. 522 cabinet, from £7,474, Svenskt Tenn. Green Crane cushion, from £75, Klaus Haapaniemi.

DARK FAIRY TALES!Bright colour, creative shapes and an upbeat mood –

Nordic designers have a knack of making furniture and accessories that make us smile. That’s because enriching people’s lives is just another aspect of a product working well. Take Montana’s storage (above)

and Fritz Hansen’s reinvention of the classic Series 7 chair in bolder shades (far right), which are a little bit unexpected and quirky, but still practical. There’s a narrative, too: as Finnish illustrator Klaus Haapaniemi says, ‘The soul of our design in the 21st century is in storytelling. It’s about human interaction.’ With this mix of fun and function, seemingly workaday products can become design classics. As Erik Magnussen, creator of the iconic Vacuum jug for Stelton (opposite), says, ‘Hopefully, playing is always part of the process, but it has to be serious, too. Perhaps we have a particular eye for this balance in Nordic countries.’

It’s playful

Storage units in Burma, £6,100 for configuration shown, Peter J Lassen for Montana at Aram Store.

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!W ith such a focus on clean-lined spaces, Nordic interiors have classically been about a light palette. After all, spring-bright, crisp blues and whites are just the thing to contend with long, dark winters, and uplifting, modern checks

(as in Swedish brands Sandberg and Lexington, and Danish company Normann Copenhagen) are an easy-does-it pattern for everyday homes. Checks are also synonymous with historic Swedish bed-maker Hästens. As Jan Ryde, owner and director, says, ‘My father, Jack, designed the check in 1976. At the time there was a trend in Sweden for yellows and browns, so it was a brave move, but it made our beds stand out. Due to the intricate measurements used, we were able to patent the design so no other companies could copy it.’ It may be calm and cool, but pale blue created a bit of a stir when Carl Hansen revealed the new pastel versions of Hans J Wegner’s iconic Wishbone chair – an instant Livingetc favourite. Similarly iconic, Vola’s single-lever mixer now comes in pale blue – who knew a tap could be so pretty? The key is that these pared-back pieces sit very comfortably with brighter colours and quirkier designs – the overall look is informal and relaxed.

It’s fresh Annaleenas Hem (annaleenas hem.blogspot.com); Emmas Designblogg (emmas.blogg.se); Darling Clementine (dcstudio.tumblr.com); Design Shimmer (design-shimmer.blogspot.com); Dos Family (dosfamily.com); Helt Enkelt (helt enkelthosmig.blogspot.com); Mackapär (mackapar.blogspot.com); Rum För Två (rumfortva.blogspot.com)

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT HV1-04 mixer tap, £434.40, Vola. Rut wallpaper, £65 per 10m roll, Villa Harmonica by Sandberg. Pedrera PD-4 ABC table lamp, £169, Gubi. CH24 Wishbone chair, £565, Hans J Wegner for Carl Hansen at Aram Store. Cottage throw, £159, Lexington at Occa-Home. Mormor bowl, £47.75, Normann Copenhagen.

Auroria bed, from £6,970; Original pillowcases, from £34 each; Original double duvet cover, from £169; all Hästens.

Our favourite Nordic bloggers

For stockist details, see page 172

TOP BLOGS

CONTACTSAram Store (aram.co.uk); BoConcept (boconcept.co.uk); Cane-line (cane-line.com); Carl Hansen & Son (carlhansen.com); Chaplins (chaplins.co.uk); Dinesen (dinesen.com); Gubi (gubi.com); Harrods (harrods.com); Hästens (hastens.com); Hay (hayshop.dk);Heal’s (heals.co.uk); Hus & Hem (husandhem.co.uk); Iittala (iittala.com); Ivor Innes (ivor-innes.co.uk); Kähler (kahlerdesign.com/en); Kasthall at Sinclair Till (sinclairtill.co.uk); Klaus Haapaniemi (klaush.com); Lexington (lexingtoncompany.com); The Lollipop Shoppe (thelollipopshoppe.co.uk); Monna Glass (monnaglass.com); Montana (montana.dk); Normann Copenhagen (normann-copenhagen.com); Occa-Home (occa-home.co.uk); Republic Of Fritz Hansen (fritzhansen.com); Ruben Lighting (rubenlighting.com); Sandberg (sandbergab.se/en); Stelton (stelton.com); Svenskt Tenn (svenskttenn.se); Verpan (verpan.dk); Vola (vola.co.uk)

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Arc royalSpanish-born, London-based

designer Héctor Serrano says his Carmen lamp for FontanaArte is

inspired by the overlapping discs in armour. The steel ‘petals’ are

built on a series of rings, so soft light diffuses through every layer. Also

available as a pendant, standard or table lamp. £2,148 (chaplins.co.uk)

Worn wellWeave a trad twist into a modern scheme with an

ever-stylish kilim in bright orange. Each Patina rug, new from BoConcept, takes six

months to make and is sheared to create that worn,

bohemian look. From £1,295 (boconcept.co.uk)

AMERICAN IDOL

Finally, Jonathan Adler’s world of ‘happy chic’ is available on this side of the Pond, with a new standalone boutique in London (the first outside of the States) and a UK webstore. The shop, on Sloane Avenue in Chelsea, will cover up to 3,000 sq ft spread over two floors, selling a specially curated selection of Adler designs, which the man himself describes with, ‘If your heirs won’t fight over it, we won’t make it.’ Channing desk, £1,078.81; Shell lamp, £305; George wallpaper, £154 per 13.7m roll (uk.jonathanadler.com)

Dish of the dayEstablished in 1920, Falcon Enamelware is the

epitome of utility-cool kitchenalia. Now its classic white-and-blue dishes have been updated in

Pillarbox Red (pictured), Sky Blue and Pigeon Grey. Bake set, £54.99 (falconenamelware.com)

This winter, the collar is the new scarf. This sheepskin version

in chic navy is Livingetc’s favourite – it’ll add cosy glamour

to a simple turtleneck or Céline-style collarless coat.

£95 (gemmalister.com)

NECKSAPPEAL

lovesLivingetc

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Cutlery was fine, it worked. Then

along came the Propeller collection by

Robin Levien in sexy black. The

knife handle is on its side, so sits flat in your palm – far more ergonomic.

From £5 (johnlewis.com)

HUBBA HUBBAHas technology ever been as poetic as this Hub For The Lonely City by David Weeks? It might have four handy USB ports, but it sounds more like a particularly poignant novel by Bret Easton Ellis. £15 (kikkerland.com)

Cuttingedge

T his Flat washstand 90, from new-to-the-UK Italian brand Ex.T, could just as easily be

a beautiful, minimalist console table. It picks up on the wider furniture world trend of mixed materials – in this case steel and oak – and cleverly conceals any hint of plumbing behind a huge drawer. Washstand, from £1,084. (plugbathrooms.com)

STAND AND DELIVER

In the foldThese paper pendant shades were stacked in the office for a couple of days and had the accolade of being loved by everyone (we’re a team of many tastes). They remind us variously of iced gems or fortune tellers, and come from a very stylish new Anglo-French online shop called Cachette. Available in seven colours, each shade comes with a black-and-white flex and a porcelain bulb socket. £75 each (cachette.com)

This year would have been Gustav Klimt’s 150th birthday.

You could mark it by buying one of his masterpieces, but big paintings

are so, well, big – don’t you find? This bespoke Bauergarten phone

case is far more convenient. £24.99 (giantsparrows.

co.uk)

ARTY MOBILE Historically, there was little that was edgy or menacing about the

Seventies sideboard standard, the giant brandy glass. But look at them now, with their rock ’n’ roll tattoos, hanging out in a gang. Our mother

warned us about accessories like these. From £25 each (re-foundobjects.com)

A P R I L 2 0 1 2 <#B#>

As he reaches 80, we celebrate the man who

Perhaps it was a sign of things to come when the schoolboy Terence Orby Conran started making dolls’ house furniture to sell to his sister’s friends: once an entrepreneur, always an entrepreneur. As Sir Terence celebrates his 80th birthday, it’s

possible to look at his life’s work and see that same spirit of adventure running throughout. His ability to give people what they want (often before they know they want it) has transformed our eating habits, what we buy and how we style our homes. That we expect great design to be accessible – rather than the preserve of the wealthy – and our restaurants to be cosmopolitan is largely down to his vision.

Aside from introducing duvets and chicken bricks to the UK, Sir Terence made headway in other areas. The opening of The Conran Shop made retail destinations of underrated parts of London and, although property developers thought him crazy to invest in the run-down warehouses of Butler’s Wharf on the Thames, his concept rejuvenated the area. It also showed a spirit in common with his influences – William Morris, the Bauhaus school and food writer Elizabeth David – who were united by a fierce ambition to make things new. That influence is still felt today in his collection for Marks & Spencer. As we say ‘happy birthday Sir Terence’, let’s take a look at his ground-breaking career so far… >

‘What unites my work is the pleasure of creating an environment that I hope will charm and amuse people, and make them feel good.’

1931 1948 1952 1953 1954 1956 1963 1964 Born 4 October in Kingston upon Thames

Launches Conran & Company

Opens second restaurant, The Orrery

Purpose-built CDG factory opens

Enrols at Central School of Arts & Crafts

After a stint in France, opens Soup Kitchen in Chandos Place, London

Launches Conran Design Group (CDG)

First Habitat opens in Chelsea

A L I F E I N

brought the modern lifestyle to Britain WORDS MORAG BRUCE

Sir Terence Conran

DESIGN

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The retailerWhen Sir Terence saw the Brits’ desire for casual, European-style dining thriving in his restaurants, a quandary arose – how could the experience be duplicated for customers at home when it was near-impossible to buy the equipment? The answer was Habitat, a one-stop shop opened in 1964 that packaged modernism for Britain. ‘We wanted to give people things that made living easier. The average furnishings at the time were dull and ponderous,’ he says. ‘We wanted design to be democratic. Our benchmark customer was a teacher – we had to be affordable for a teacher.’

With Vidal Sassoon-coiffed staff dressed in Mary Quant clothes, Habitat swept aside the Grace Brothers-style stores of the day. It sold items of exotica such as woks and duvets, as well as furniture from

The designer‘Plain, simple, useful’ is Sir Terence’s design philosophy, which is evident in each of these key pieces, particularly his personal favourite, the Casper cup and saucer, far right.

1965 1971 1973 1974 1980 1981 1982 1983 Habitat Tottenham Court Road opens, followed by branches around the country

Habitat’s largest branch opens on the King’s Road

Conran Foundation set up

Buys Mothercare

Neal Street Restaurant opens

The House Book published

Boilerhouse opens at the V&A. Develops Next.

Receives knighthood. Buys Butler’s Wharf

things Sir Terence popularised in the UK... 1 The wok 2 The duvet

FROM LEFT Brindley side table, £199, Terence Conran for Marks & Spencer (marksandspencer.com). Matador chair, £995 (conranshop.co.uk). Casper cups and saucers, £4.50 each (conranshop.co.uk). Hector Bibendum lamp, £199, Terence Conran for Original BTC (conranshop.co.uk).

LEFT Early days at Habitat. THIS PICTURE The Conran Shop’s home in Michelin House, built in 1911.

its own Conran Design Group; what we now think of as design classics. Pop stars joined teachers at the tills and homeware was never the same again. Fast forward through a retail career including Mothercare, Next and Bhs, and we arrive at the 30,000 sq ft Conran Shop, opening in 1987 in the magnificent Michelin House building on Fulham Road, an event that Sir Terence cites as his career highlight. >

3 The chicken brick 4 The kilim rug 5 The paper lantern

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1984 1985 1987 1989 1991 1992 1993 1994 Creates Conran Octopus publishing house with Paul Hamlyn

Buys Michelin House to accommodate The Conran Shop, Octopus and Bibendum

Conran Restaurants created. Opens Le Pont de la Tour

Butlers Wharf Chop House opens. Relaunches Quaglino’s

Benchmark furniture makers set up in the grounds of Sir Terence’s home in Berkshire

Design Museum opens in Butler’s Wharf

Cantina del Ponte restaurant opens

The Conran Shop opens in Tokyo

The gastronomeIn the early Fifties, Sir Terence followed in George Orwell’s footsteps by working as a dishwasher in Paris, and it was here that he fell for the ‘food is first’ ethos of French restaurants. ‘Back in Britain,’ he says, ‘we were still being rationed. You couldn’t buy garlic and you could only buy olive oil from the chemist.’ So no wonder food writer Elizabeth David’s books, with their talk of terrines and cassoulets, got him excited.

Upon his return in 1953, he opened Soup Kitchen in London, an eaterie with stripped-back décor, young staff and, crucially, baguettes. A year later, he expanded onto the King’s Road with a coffee bar called The Orrery. Since then, Conran has overseen the opening of hotels and restaurants that, like Habitat, tapped into the national psyche – Le Pont de la Tour, Neal Street Restaurant, Quaglino’s, Bibendum, Great Eastern Hotel, Lutyens, Boundary and Albion. It’s so committed to providing fresh produce, Albion’s bakery tweets (@albionsoven) each time bread comes out of the oven. There’s no sign of slowing down, either, with a new restaurant complex scheduled for spring 2012 in a former East India Company warehouse in the City. >

Le Pont de la Tour in The Butler’s Wharf Building, SE1, opened in 1991.

RIGHT Quaglino’s with its iconic staircase. BELOW The famous Q ashtray, £30, designed by Sir Terence (quaglinos-restaurant.co.uk)

BELOW Sir Terence’s latest culinary venture is Lutyens restaurant.

The Casper range featuring a fabric pattern designed by Sir Terence for the Festival of Britain. Chequers teapot, £19.95; side plate, £9.95 (conranshop.co.uk).

‘When I came back to Britain from France in the early Fifties, you couldn’t buy garlic, and you could only buy olive oil from the chemist.’

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• When it opened in 1953, Soup Kitchen had only the second Gaggia coffee machine in London.

• Sir Terence Conran’s partner in his first furniture studio was the celebrated artist Eduardo Paolozzi.

• Neal Street Restaurant had menus designed by David Hockney.

• In the Seventies, the Habitat Basics range was so successful in Japan that Seibu – the department store that franchised Habitat – developed the no-brand formula to create Muji.

• By the time Quaglino’s was 10 years old, 25,000 of its iconic Conran-designed ashtrays had gone ‘missing’.

• Sir Terence’s favourite brand of cigar is Hoyo de Monterrey.

Did you know…

1999 2000 2003 2008 2009 2010 2011 The Conran Shop opens in New York

Named Provost for the Royal College of Art

Lutyens restaurant and members’ club opens

Donates £17.5 million to Design Museum. Launches design collaboration with Marks & Spencer

Opens refurbished Great Eastern Hotel

Boundary Hotel opens

Launches Château Boundary wine club

The philanthropistIn the early Eighties, Sir Terence used some of the profits from the flotation of Habitat to create the Conran Foundation, a charitable trust committed to the promotion of industrial design. One of its first initiatives was the Boilerhouse Project, a prototype Design Museum set up in a basement in the V&A to stimulate

‘I love the work of Charles and Ray Eames. The House of Cards game has charm and humour.’ House of Cards, £34 (littlebaby company.com)

The Design Museum in Shad Thames.

Since the influential The House Book in 1974, Sir

Terence has been a prolific author on all home matters.

All works available from The Conran Shop.

BUY THE BOOK

design awareness, which showcased innovative exhibitions by the likes of Kenneth Grange, Issey Miyake and Dieter Rams. In 1983, Conran bought the 11-acre Butler’s Wharf site on the south bank of the Thames where a Fifties warehouse would become the Design Museum, the world’s first of its kind. And what started in an old basement will be housed in the larger Commonwealth Institute in Kensington from 2014 – a move assisted by Sir Terence’s £17.5million donation.

Now that’s a CV to be proud of. Livingetc says, happy birthday Sir Terence.Design Museum’s exhibition Sir Terence Conran – The Way We Live Now runs 16 Nov 2011–4 March 2012 (designmuseum.org).

‘This is my favourite chair: it really makes me smile.’ Karuselli chair, £4,080 (conranshop.co.uk)

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